Father's Daughter
by Agent Sandra Cartrip
Summary: After awakening from a terrible nightmare, Doc goes to check on his daughter Hibiscus, and thinks of all she means to him. One-shot.


_**Author's note: Hey everyone! I have got a new story to share with you! This is my very first Cars fanfiction, I wrote it back in 2015 and read it to a writing group! I have greatly revised the story since then, but I still think I've managed to capture the feeling just right. A huge thank you goes to my friend TrikiD, who did the honours of beta-reading it for me. And now, without further ado, I give you Father's Daughter!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: As you already know, I do not own Doc Hudson or Cars, although I do wish I did. I only own Hibiscus.  
**_

 _ **(Update as of 29 August 2017) It turns out Raine has already got a owner, and they have asked me to remove her. Since I did not realise I was using someone else's character, I had to take her out of the story and replace her with a OC of mine, so I apologise for the confusion. I still hope you enjoy the story.**_

 _The old car stumbles and falls as he makes his way through the deep, thick, cold snow. He opens his eyes to a flurry of white spots rushing at him against the opaque black sky. He closes them, trying to concentrate on each mile he drives. The cold wind blows against his front, causing him to shudder despite his efforts not to. He breathes heavily, but the force of the thick wind cuts off his air. Icicles begin to grow and form all over him. Now and then he calls out feebly, but the wind pushes his voice back. Finally he stumbles and drops to the ground, crying out one last time, but his voice, low, thick, and clipped, is lost in the wind, his bonnet falling forward into the soft snow. Something cold and hard yet smooth brushes against his cheek. He opens his eyes and sees a patch of raised snow. He brushes it aside and stops short, his heart pounding heavily against his sides. He sees something black sticking out from under the white mantle. Finally he uncovers it; a little black car, only a few months old, and coated in thick ice. He leans against her silent little door. There is no heart beat. She is dead. He buries his head into the cold snow and weeps._

 _The blue '51 Hudson Hornet looks up and sees a grey, foggy sky. The snow is gone, he's lying on a cold, crooked, jagged, rocky mountainside, far above the ground. A cold wind blows, chilling him. A little black streak runs by. The old car calls to it, but it keeps going, heading straight for the steep, rocky ravine. Then he realizes the little car can't stop. Willing his engine to start, he tries to drive after her, but his tyres only move like slow molasses. He tries to push himself faster, but he can't cover any more ground. Finally, after what seems like forever, he manages to catch up to the little car, now near the cliff. The old car tries to grab her, but she plunges over the cliff, shrieking. He reaches down as far as he can as he tries to catch her, but she falls, endlessly, screaming into the black nothingness. Finally she disappears from sight, her screams fading away._

Doc Hudson woke with a start, snapping his eyes open. His whole body trembled as he gasped violently for air, cold sweat trickling down his sides and cab and his heart pounding. He glanced around the room quickly, trying to figure out where he was. Although horribly shaken from his dream, he was able to relax a bit, once he realized where he was: safe and sound in his own clinic.

Sighing, Doc shook off his blanket and made his way to the bathroom. He splashed cold water onto his bonnet, trying to wash out the nightmare that had been haunting him for the past few days. Once he was done, he slowly cruised his way out of his room and into the spare bedroom. He crept in slowly, unable to see, partly because it was the dead of night, and also because of his eyesight, which was not quite as sharp as it used to be. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he was able to make out a small bed against the wall. He rolled next to it and eased himself onto his undercarriage. He cast his large, loving, soulful blue eyes onto the little figure inside it, who lay wrapped in a blanket, sound asleep.

Doc gently nuzzled the tiny baby car, whose response was a small sigh as she huddled herself deeper into the blanket and pillows, going back to sleep.

Looking at the sleeping tiny black car made Doc's heart melt away like the leftover nightmare in his mind. He smiled gently at the warm memories that came back to him. He remembered the joy he'd felt in his heart when he first looked into her large brown eyes, how she had relied on him completely; the times when he'd hold her, bottle feed her, or give her a ride on his bonnet. But the memory he treasured most was when she would lie down for a nap on his bonnet, and Doc faithfully watched over her as she slept. He could always feel her little heartbeat as it tickled the top of his bonnet.

She had been a dirty, thin little orphan car whose hope was that someone would want her. Doc, who had been in India for two years on a business call for a missionary group, had spotted her on the filthy streets. He shuddered again, not from the cold but from a paralysing fear, the one he'd felt when Hibiscus had saved him from a escaped convict, who had followed him to India and tried to assassinate him by throwing a knife, but Hibiscus had expertly caught it before it could reach him. Once he was turned in for attempted murder, Doc adopted Hibiscus and took her back with him to Radiator Springs, a place where she was loved and cared for. Every time he looked at Hibiscus, he thought of how lucky he was to have her, how less lonely he was and how fortunate he was to still be alive. If it hadn't been for Hibiscus's bold action and quick thinking, he wouldn't have been alive.

Doc had been very lonely before he made his move to Radiator Springs. Ever since his racing career came to a near-fiery end, he had found himself alone. He had the company of his wife, Maxine, and his two sons, Brian and James, as well as all of the residents, but because he spent so much time studying for his medical degree, his law degree, and having to work part-time in order to support himself, he hardly ever saw them. Doc had hoped that in time he could settle down and raise a large family. But that dream came to a tragic end when Maxine developed terminal cancer, just when they were looking at having another child. Within a month she died, leaving Doc bitter and broken-hearted. In an attempt to flush out his grief, Doc buried himself in his work and raising his sons. Before long, his sons were grown and moved out of town to live their own lives, leaving Doc all alone once more, save for the company of his friends. It wouldn't be until a few years later when Doc would be called to India and meet Hibiscus—the little car who brought so much joy into his life—along with the nightmares, for some reason.

Doc frowned, perplexed. He didn't understand why he was being plagued with these nightmares. Perhaps it was because his greatest fear was losing his daughter. He remembered how many nightmares he had after the 1954 Piston Cup crash. It had been terrible, traumatising, and even now he still had them once in a while.

Doc shook off the thoughts. He had given it enough attention, and he needed to get some sleep. He tucked the blanket around Hibiscus, kissed her little roof, and, with one last loving look, cruised back into his room. When he got back, he saw his mattress there, looking as warm, comfortable and welcoming as it did every night. Feeling light-hearted, Doc crawled into bed and pulled the covers over his bonnet. He closed his eyes and tried to think of a pleasant place. By the time he had pictured a cool, calm, deep, crystal clear lake amongst a peaceful green field and a tranquil blue sky, he was already fast asleep.

 _I love you, Hibiscus Hudson, my daughter, my little miracle._

 _ **Author's note: I hope you enjoyed my little one-shot! Thank you so much for reading, and please do take the time to leave a review, as they are greatly appreciated! And don't forget to stay tuned for my other stories!**_

 _ **~Sandra**_


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